AMMAN —Al Ghad— The Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs, Mousa Maaytah, stated to “Al Ghad” that allocations under the political parties financial support system in the 2017 budget have not be reduced, and stand in total at a sum of JOD2.5 million, with an anticipated excess of JOD750 thousand.

Compared to the Ministry of Interior Affair’s previous allocations, under the old political parties system, subsidies for political parties in Jordan stood at a total of JOD2 million, half a million less than the sum of allocations under the amended parties system, designated to support 35 parties, out of the registered 50.

Maaytah then continued to explain that it is the totality of allocations for the Ministry of Political and Parliamentary Affairs which have been reduced, with subsidies under the political parties support section untouched. Similarly, the budgets of all other Ministries have been reduced too, the Minister exclaimed.

This, however, Maaytah underlined, does not mean that reductions are completely ruled out, in fact amendments to allocations remain an unfavourable, but possible option.

On the other hand, the Ministry had applied for a JOD1.5 million increase of the respective allocations for parties, and this is the submission which was been rejected, Maaytah confirmed, not the standing JOD2.5 million.